MANCHESTER STREET BRIDGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 55, 17 July 1868, Page 3

MANCHESTER STREET BRIDGE.

'JO TIIU HOITOU Olf Till? STAU, ; Sin,— A short timo ago thoro appeared in your columns a roport from Dr Hector, on tho Waimakariri overflow at Umon of .flood* which described how portions of iho wntpr found Its way Into tho A von, thereby endangering this oily of Christchuroh | tho roport further sotting out how In norno mcaiiurothlfl dinmer wiih i^ bo avoided, And ono of tho means to bo employed was tho cutting away or removing sundry sharp points or bonds In tho banks of tho Avon, such an is new, boing done -below iho Victoria bridge, the general principle throughout being provlalon for an easy and as «t might as possible How of tho Avon waters, witli tho smallest pofifllblo number of obntiuntloris] ' ' ,; With this beforo tho publio, and boforo our enlightened (?) Borough Counolllora, who havo lately accepted a contract (now In proffrcfla) for abridge across tlio Avon, In the Ine of Mnnchcntor stroot, what think you 'theso [worthy arid no doubt woll<mcanlng 'BcntlemeiV are about in ', tlio mutter of thla contract ? Why, Kir, they have' actually • approved of, and arc paying for a positive and unnecessary obstruction to tho flow of

tho Avon wator. Lot them and tho general public judge for thomflolvcu by looking at the angle at which tho rows of piles for tho Manchester Brldgo aro boing placo I to tho ourront of tho river. Kvory pllo Is a atop, witter, hiHtead of but ono of each row meeting the ourrent, Thon the approaoheo are to bo Holld, filled in up to a breastwork ;o£ timber planking, thoroby quito iinncoeflfiarlly narrowing tho 'water channel In tlmos of flood. _ 1 may, Sir, ho In error, not being an oni/inocr, (though IbeHovo Dr Iloolor'-t report had a favourable commont from either your piper or tho 7Y«i-s, hcoauao It waa not that of an cnalncor) but I nnbmlt that tho coat of tho brldgo would not havo boon Increased by many pounds, If any, by tho rowo of plica boing placed a-»kow under It, but In lino with tho ourront, And that tho oxpciifio would positively hava" bi'on .loflßont-d had tlmbor ap« pronolica beon mado inntcad of carthon onoa, whlnh form r would alio havo had tho advantage of offering the loa«t. olwuucllon to Hand water, which would havo panned under tlu-m. . « An It is, whon tho next Mirlowi flood comof-", I ohall not bo .nurprlscd to learn that this Miinehcator Htreot bridwo hus proved Knell! an pbntaolo whleh It will at leant ho desirable, If hot noimsfiary, to remedy. , • Ht'iingo, la It not, that wo should at ono and tho aamo momout bn spomUng' money both to attain and defeat a nomow hut important object ? ITour obedient nor van t, • OBSERVER. I Christohurcb, July 15. ..... ,